1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photographic processing apparatus having an exposing section for printing images of negative films on printing paper, a negative film outlet for discharging the negative films used in the exposing section, a developing section for developing the printing paper printed, a print outlet for cutting the printing paper developed to predetermined lengths, and discharging the cut printing paper as prints, and a collating transport device for receiving the negative films discharged unit by unit from the negative film outlet and the prints discharged unit by unit from the print outlet, and combining and transporting the negative films and prints as finished products.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the photographic processing apparatus noted above, a combination of negative films and prints processed as one unit usually is based on a single length of negative film ordered by a customer. This one unit is called one order also. When the same customer orders printing of several negative films or several sets of piece negatives at the same time, they are processed as separate orders. To enable a continuous process, the negative film to be fed to the exposing section is in the form of an elongate negative film formed by connecting about 100 negative films through splicing tape. The elongate negative film wound on a reel is successively cut unit by unit to undergo an exposing process. The negative film emerging from the exposing process is cut by a negative cutter to lengths each including four or six frame images, which are discharged as piece negatives through the negative film outlet.
However, a customer ordering prints does not always bring a single length of negative film, but may bring piece negatives to have additional prints to be made therefrom, i.e. to make a re-order. Thus, the same photographic processing apparatus must be used to process piece negatives.
In processing piece negatives with the conventional photographic processing apparatus, the piece negatives are drawn in from a piece negative feed section to the exposing section. After the images are read and printed on printing paper in the exposing section, the piece negatives are collected before reaching the negative cutter in the negative film outlet. The operator puts the piece negatives back into original negative sheet. In this state, the piece negatives wait for the corresponding prints to be discharged from the print outlet. After the prints are discharged, the frame images on the piece negatives and prints are compared, collated and combined. This process is taken because the operation of the negative film outlet is controlled for handling only unit negative films and not for piece negatives. Thus, when piece negatives mix in to be processed, the photographic processing apparatus operates at a greatly reduced rate. In order to raise piece negative processing efficiency, piece negatives may be processed in batches upon completion of processing of the elongate negative film wound on a reel. However, the problem of time and trouble taken in the collating operation remains to be solved. Besides, delays occurring only with re-orders are problematic in terms of customer services.